John Muyamba
RUNDU – Livestock farmers in the two Kavango regions were despondent when news got to their ears that the Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) was thinking of moving the mobile abattoir to the north-central regions, which would leave them with no abattoir to which to sell their animals.
Rundu abattoir that has been under construction since 2014 is yet to be completed.
The mobile abattoir is stationed at Matumbo Ribebe quarantine camp, 75 km south of Rundu.
Speaking on behalf of farmers the Kavango East Farmers Union chairperson Adolf Muremi told New Era he did not understand why the mobile abattoir should be moved at a time when livestock farmers in this part of the country need it the most.
“The demand here is high, our farmers are always turned back because the quarantine is always packed with livestock ready to be slaughtered, the abattoir is in business. Meatco can think of that idea maybe when we are failing to supply, not at the moment when we are satisfying the demand,” Muremi said.
“If this mobile abattoir is moved from here then we don’t know where to sell our livestock without having to travel long distances. We won’t have a market, we have sent an email to the acting Meatco CEO regarding this issue and we haven’t received any feedback,” Muremi added.
Contacted for comment Meatco’s manager for corporate affairs, Rosa Hamukuaja-Thobias, admitted the meat corporation had explored the idea to relocate the mobile abattoir but she assured livestock farmers in the two Kavango regions that the facility has not yet been relocated.
“Plans were explored to see whether it can move, but for now it not happening,” she said.
“There are no plans to move the mobile abattoir for now, it will remain at Matumbo Ribebe until further notice,” she said.